How is Climate Change Affecting Ice Cover on Madison Lakes?

Finn Ryan, Scott Pauli, Pitch Interactive, Evan Murdock, Climate Wisconsin

This resource tells the story of how climate change is affecting ice cover on lakes in Wisconsin. Students will understand at the end of the lesson that shorter ice cover seasons are having a profound impact on the lakes in Madison, WI. The website provides an overview and context for the use of the data. The data presented show a record of ice cover days on two lakes near Madison, WI, since 1855. Although there is significant annual variation in the data, the overall trend established is evidence that climate change is happening now. Reduced ice cover has a significant ecological impact since it regulates lake temperature, dissolved organic (DO) levels, light penetration, and other factors responsible for the growth and reproduction of species present in and around the lakes.

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Notes from our reviewers

The CLEAN collection is hand-picked and rigorously reviewed for scientific accuracy and classroom effectiveness. Read what our review team had to say about this resource below or learn more about how CLEAN reviews teaching materials.

After students have discussed what else could be measured in the lakes, consider extending the activity by encouraging them to answer their own questions with empirical research. Consider having students identify the data trends and extreme years before clicking on those options. The ice fishing link at the bottom of the text may be fun and useful to show along with this graph.
This visualization and summary description from PBS Wisconsin describes the differences in ice-cover trends for two Wisconsin lakes with an interactive graph of ice cover days over time. It challenges students to ask why there is a difference between the two lakes and brings attention to using multiple metrics and historical data to understand complex trends and the factors that influence them. This is a great long-term data set looking at how long two lakes are covered by ice each winter in Wisconsin. The longest ice season vs. shortest ice season is a very helpful element that has been selected for students to consider. Passed initial science review - expert science review pending.
This discussion-based activity encourages students to discover the importance and implications of long-term data and the distinction between seasonal variability and historical trends by observing a graph of ice cover days from 1855 to 2018. Data for 2018-2023 are available by clicking the link: [link https://www.aos.wisc.edu/~sco/lakes/msnicesum.html] Students analyze data and consider the impact of the data on ecosystems and people. The graphs should be useful in any classroom but students in environments that experience lakes freezing in the winter may be able to better relate to the impacts of the data. If using this resource in a place that doesn't experience deep freezes in the winter, it might be helpful to discuss what phenomena are locally similar so that students can relate to this resource. This activity also includes additional video and summary about ice-fishing which may engage students that prefer visual learning. The ice-fishing description mentions how American Indians participated in the activity, however there is no attribution to a specific tribe. The teaching guidance and questions listed with the resource are helpful for considering the story in the context of a lesson.